woodward



(No Model.)

v gsheets -sheet 1; G. W. WOODWARD.

I SUSPENSION DEVICE.

Patented Feb. 15,1887.

Nv PEYERs, Plwtwuthugmbhur, wi'lhin mn. n, c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' G. W. WOODWARD.

' SUSPENSION DEVICE.

No. 357,695. Patented Feb. 15. 1887.

TERS. FhomLhMmphu, wumn em n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. VVOODWARD, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ANSONIA BRASS AND COPPER COMPANY AND WVOLOOTT A. HULL, BOTH OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

SUSPENSION DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,695, dated February 15, 1887.

Application filed May 8, 1885. Serial No. 164.759. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. W001)- WARD, of Brooklyn, in Kings county, and in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in suspending Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to suspending devices wherein a drum containing a convolute spring has wound upon it cords or chains which depend from it and are attached to the article to be suspended. The cords or chains frequentlybecome stretched or wound up unevenly, so that the depending portion of one will become shortened relatively to that of another and entail the tilting of the suspended article.

It is the object of my improvement to obviate this difficulty.

To this end my improvement consists in the combination, with a drum, of a counterbalancespring acting in conjunction therewith, a cross-bar or yoke, cords or chains wound upon the drum and connected near one of their ends to said cross-bar or yoke and made flexible at or near the point of connection therewith, another cross-bar or yoke flexibly connected between the ends to the cross-bar or yoke first named, and other cords or chains depending from the cross-bar or yoke last named and made flexible at or near the point of connection therewith.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a suspending device embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a modificationthereof. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating another modification of the same.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a rotary drum, made of sheet metal or other suitable material, mounted loosely on an arbor, B. To the upper end of the arbor B is attached a loop, 0, whereby the suspending device may be hung from a hook or other support. On the lower part of the arbor B a frame, D, is supported. This frame is provided with guide wheels or pulleys E.

Inside the drum A a convolute spring is arranged, one endbeing attached to the drum and the other to the arbor.

Cords or chains G are attached to the drum and wound around the same, their free ends passing over the guide wheels or pulleys, and thence downwardly.

I have shown a friction-brake, H, combined with the drum; but as the same is 'not of my invention I will not describe it.

In the example of my improvement illustrated in Fig. 1, the cords or chains G are connected at the ends to a cross-bar or yoke, I, made of metal or any other suitable material.

It will be seen that the cords or chains are made flexible at or near the point of their connection with the cross-bar or yoke I. It will also be seen that said cords or chains are ,connected to said cross-bar or yoke at a point opposite or nearly opposite the guide wheels or pulleys E.

J designates another cross-bar or yoke, which also may be of any suitable material. It is flexibly connected at the middle to the crossbar or yoke I at a point opposite the center of the drum. The connection between the crossbars or yokes is to be such as to admit of one swinging relatively to the other. As shown, it consists of a link or hook, at, extending from one and entering an eye in the other.

Cords or chains K, fastened to the cross-bar or yoke J near the ends, extend thence to the lamp or other article to be suspended. The cords or chains K are also made flexible at or near the point of their connection with the crossbar or yoke J. It will be seen also that the cords or chains G and K are connected, respectively, to the cross-bars or yokes I and J by a detachable connection. Such connection, as here shown, consists of hooks.

The cross-bars or yokes may be of any desired shape or configuration. In fact, they might be in the form of plates having their adjacent edges pivotally connected together.

By reason of the employment of the crossbars or yokes any stretch of the cords or chains or any irregularity in the winding or unwinding of the cords or chains which are attached to the drum will be compensated for by the swinging of either or bothof the cross-bars or yokes. This operation is facilitated by the fact that the cords or chains are flexible in any direction.

In Fig. 2 I have shown that one cross-bar or yoke only need be used. Here the cords or chains K are connected to an eye at the middle of the cross-bar or yoke I; or they may be joined and passed over a pulley.

I have shown in Fig. 8 that both cross-bars or yokes can be omitted and the cords or chains G and K made to converge to a point centrally under the drum. In this example of my improvement they may be connected in fixed relations, or to pulleys that are connected together.

That I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A self-balancing lamp-support. for spring suspension devices, consisting of two bars or plates having their adjacent edges pivotally connected together at the center of their lengths, whereby the upper bar or plate may assume an inclined position without changing the horizontal position of the lower bar or plate, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a drum, of a counterbalance-spring acting in conjunction therewith, a frame for supporting said drum, guides upon said frame, cords or chains wound upon said drum and passing oversaid guides, a crossbar or yoke to which said cords or chains are connected at a point opposite or nearly opposit-e said guides, another cross-bar or yoke flexibly connected between the ends to the cross-bar or yoke first named, and other cords or chains depending from the cross-bar or yoke last named and passing to the lamp or other article to be suspended, all said cords or chains being flexibly connected to their respective cross bars or yokes and being flexible in any direction, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a drum, of a counterbalance-spring acting in conjunction therewith, a frame for supporting said drum, guides upon said frame, cords or chains wound upon said drum and passingoversaid guides, a crossbar or yoke to which said cords or chains are detachably connected, another crossbar or yoke flexibly connected between the ends to the cross-bar or yoke first named, and other cords or chains detachably connected to said last-named cross-bar or yoke and passing to the lamp or other article to be suspended, all said cords or chains being flexible in any direction, substantially as specified.

GEORGE W. \VOODlVARD.

\Vitnesses:

WM. G. LIPSEY, E. T. Rooms. 

